If I Have HIV, Am I at Higher Risk of COVID-19?
At the present time, we have no specific information about the risk of COVID-19 in people with HIV.
Older adults and people of any age who have a serious underlying medical condition might be at higher risk for severe illness, including people who are immunocompromised. The risk for people with HIV getting very sick is greatest in:
People with a low CD4 cell count, and
People not on HIV treatment (antiretroviral therapy or ART).
People with HIV can also be at increased risk of getting very sick with COVID-19 based on their age and other medical conditions.
Continue taking your HIV medicine, follow the advice of your health care provider, and follow the coronavirus.gov guidance to keep yourself and others safe from COVID-19.
COVID-19 and HIV: Federal Resources
Below are resources about coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from agencies across the federal government for people with HIV and the health care providers and organizations who work with them. Information is regularly being updated as we learn more in this evolving situation.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
CDC.gov/coronavirus—This site provides the latest public health and safety information on COVID-19 from CDC for consumers and the medical and health provider community.
COVID-19 and HIV—This page contains links to CDC resources on COVID-19 for people at risk for and with HIV, and for public health partners.
COVID-19: What People with HIV Should Know—This page answers frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding the impact of COVID-19 on people with HIV.
Groups at Risk for Severe Illness—This page offers advice for those with certain medical conditions and other risk factors for severe illness from COVID-19, including those who are immunocompromised due to conditions such as HIV with a low CD4 cell count or without being on HIV treatment.
How to Protect Yourself from COVID-19 If You Are Immunocompromised—This page provides information for people with weakened immune systems on how to prevent COVID-19 and protect their health. There is additional information for specific conditions and risk factors.
HIV Self-Testing Guidance—This CDC guidance addresses the use of HIV self-testing programs to supplement the HIV prevention efforts of health departments and community-based organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Interim Guidance on Handling Non-COVID-19 Public Health Activities that Require Face-to-Face Interaction with Clients in the Clinic and Field in the Current COVID-19 Pandemic—This document addresses protecting public health workers engaged in activities that require face-to-face interaction with clients, including programs for HIV and other infectious diseases.
Interim Guidance for Syringe Services Programs—This guidance describes actions for jurisdictional public health authorities, as well as syringe services programs (SSPs), to support the health and well-being of their staff and the clientele they serve during the COVID-19 epidemic. SSPs provide a range of services to people with or at risk for HIV who inject drugs.
PrEP During COVID-19—This CDC guidance addresses the provision of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) when facility-based services are disrupted and in-person patient-clinician contact is limited due to the COVID-19 epidemic.
What to Know About Liver Disease and COVID-19—This page addresses the impact of COVID-19 on people with chronic liver disease. People with chronic liver disease, including hepatitis B and hepatitis C, may have concerns and questions related to their risk. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfections are common among people with HIV, therefore this page may also be of interest of those with HIV.
What You Can Do If You Are at Higher Risk of Severe Illness from COVID-19—This consumer fact sheet offers information for those at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, including those who are immunocompromised due to conditions such as poorly controlled HIV or AIDS.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Coronavirus: How to Help—This page provides information about how to volunteer and where to send donations.
Coronavirus Rumor Control—This page helps the public distinguish between rumors and facts regarding COVID-19. All Americans, including those with HIV, should always go to trusted sources of information.
Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB)
FY 2020 CARES Act Funding for Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Recipients—On April 15, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through HRSA, awarded $90 million to help RHWAP recipients prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19. This page provides the latest information for award recipients. View recipients.
HRSA.gov/coronavirus—This page provides COVID-19 information specific to HRSA programs and grantees.
RWHAP COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions—These FAQs were developed to assist RHWAP recipients, subrecipients, and stakeholders as they deliver critical services and assist local communities in response to COVID-19. This page is updated regularly. This page also includes audio and transcripts from HRSA HAB’s All Grant Recipient Conference Calls and Webinars.
Indian Health Service (IHS)
IHS.gov/coronavirus—This web page provides Information specific to the federal response in Indian Country.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Interim Guidance for COVID-19 and Persons with HIV—This guidance, developed collectively by the HHS Antiretroviral and Opportunistic Infections Guidelines Working Groups of the Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council, is intended for health care providers and people with HIV in the U.S.
NIH COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines—These Treatment Guidelines have been developed to inform clinicians how to care for patients with COVID-19. These Guidelines will be updated frequently as new information becomes available.
NIDA: Resources to Help Your Patients with Substance Use Disorders (SUD) During the COVID-19 Pandemic—This National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) page provides resources for medical professionals on SUD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the comorbidity of HIV and SUD, it may be of use to those who work with people with HIV.
NIDA: COVID-19—NIDA also developed this page of COVID-19 resources for researchers, recovery professionals, medical providers, and others.
NIH.gov/coronavirus—This page provides the latest news about COVID-19 research from NIH.
NLM: COVID-19—This National Library of Medicine (NLM) site provides links to clinical studies, journal articles, text mining collections, and other COVID-19 resources.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
SAMHSA.gov/coronavirus—This site provides guidance and resources on the prevention and treatment of those with mental health and SUD as it relates to COVID-19.
SAMHSA: Tips for Social Distancing, Quarantine, and Isolation During an Infectious Disease Outbreak—This resource discusses what individuals may expect before, during, and after social distancing, quarantine, and isolation, and how to care for one's behavioral health.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights
HHS OCR Bulletin on Civil Rights Laws and HIPAA Flexibilities that Apply During the COVID-19 Emergency—This Bulletin is focused on ensuring that covered entities (such as hospitals, clinics, and state health departments) do not unlawfully discriminate against people with disabilities when making decisions about their treatment during the COVID-19 public health emergency. It includes addressing the needs of people with HIV in emergency planning.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
HUD COVID-19 Resources and Fact Sheets—HUD has posted the FY 2020 allocations for the Office of Community Planning and Development's (CPD’s) formula programs, including Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) grantees, as well as CARES Act supplemental funding for HOPWA programs and others.
Using HOPWA Program Funds for Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response—This resource describes how HOPWA grantees and project sponsors may use HOPWA funds to prepare for and respond to COVID-19.
Other Federal Resources
Telehealth.hhs.gov—CDC recommends that people with HIV continue their HIV treatment and follow the advice of their health care provider to stay healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes staying in touch with their provider through telemedicine, if possible, or communicating via text or phone. This resource provides information about telemedicine and links to tools and resources for practitioners.
HHS Newsroom: Secretary Azar Announces Historic Expansion of Telehealth Access to Combat COVID-19—This news release discusses the steps the Administration has taken to expand Americans' access to telehealth services during the COVID-19 outbreak.
For more information about COVID-19, visit these government sites: